Conducting A Functional Behavioral Assessment

Originally Posted At: http://www.teach-nology.com/Articles/teaching/fba/

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**What's All The Hype?**

Definition:

Functional behavioral assessment is ...

  • an approach used to help a pupil with a chronic behavior problem
  • a problem solving method - one which takes time and creative collabration among professsionals and parents
  • built on the assumption that, if a pupil keeps repeating a problem behavior, that behavior must be serving some purpose for the student - otherwise, he or she would not keep repeating it
  • a process of looking for patterns in what happens around and/or to the student just before and just after the problem behavior
  • examination of these patterns to identify their purpose or their "function;" some possible functions are: avoiding something, getting something, and making something happen
  • creative problem solving to enable the pupil to achieve the same purpose in a more appropriate or more acceptable way

Functional behavioral assessment is NOT ...

  1. the first technique a teacher uses when a pupil misbehaves
  2. a quick fix
  3. a choice for teachers of pupils with disabilities - it's required by federal statutes (such as the IDEA and Section 504) and by some states (such as New York)
  4. a do-it-yourself technique - it takes collaboration

**Some Common Functions Served by Misbehaving**

Some common functions served by misbehaving are . . .

getting attention from teachers or peers - for example . . .

  • arriving late -> people look at you
  • talking when you're supposed to be quiet ---> the teacher reprimands you
  • making silly noises or telling dumb jokes ---> peers talk to you ( or about you within your hearing)
  • giving a flip answer to a teacher's question ---> peers laugh at you

escaping work, people, noise, or something else - for example . . .

  • hand-flapping and moaning ---> getting to go sit in the "quiet" room
  • giving a really wrong answer to a vocabulary question --->getting a teacher to "throw up her arms" in exasperation and walk away, never calling you to read aloud
  • cursing at the teacher when she insists you do the assignment ---> getting sent to the vice principal's office and thereby getting out of English class
  • throwing a kicking, screaming, flailing temper tantrum ---> getting out of morning circle (and getting comfort from the teacher or aide, which would also be an example of getting attention from teachers or peers)

obtaining a desired object or event - for example . . .

  • threatening to "get" a peer after school ---> getting the peer to hand over his dessert
  • yelling "It's not fair," "You don't like me," or "He cut in front" ---> getting the teacher to let you be first in line
  • cursing at the teacher when she insists you do the assignment ---> getting to see the teacher "lose it" by ranting and raving in front of the class
  • flicking the light switch on and off ---> getting to watch a light flicker on and off
  • yelling that you won't do "this baby work" ---> getting the teacher to help you with the assignment

**A---> B ---> C ---> Analysis**

An ABC analysis enables you to analyze clues about why the student keeps doing the same problem behavior. Your purpose is to identify patterns in order to hypothesize about the function the problem behavior is serving.

*Antecedent* what happens just before the behavior occurs identification of the people, events, and/or things present in the situation just before each behavior

*Behavior* what the student does the problem behavior stated in observable terms

*Consequence* what happens after the behavior what happens after the student engages in the problem behavior

**Example 1**

Date: September 25, 2000 Observer: Ms. A. Jackson [T = teacher]
Student: Ryan who: teacher and 6 peers
what: guided reading lesson where: front table
when: 9:05 -9:52  
Antecedents
Behavior
Consequences
1. T introduced the story and led students through predicting the story based on the title and key questions. T asked the group if they had ever had a pet that embarrassed them in public. 2. Ryan raised his hand and, when called on, said his cockatiel had flown around and landed on a guest's head. 3.T and peers laughed.
4. T said this story would be about a pet which embarrassed its owner. She told Ss to look for what the problem was and how the owner felt. T asked Ryan to start reading. 5. Ryan "read" by making up an irrelevant story including words referring to body functions. 6. Peers laughed. T told him to stop.
7. T read the first 3 words and told Ryan to sound out the next word. 8. Ryan slumped back, crossed his arms, and refused to read. 9. T said Ryan had lost his turn and called on the next student to read.
10. After peer read, T asked who could tell what the problem was. 11. Ryan raised his hand and said that the hamster had climbed in the aunt's hat. 12. T said Ryan should wait to be called on and that he was right. She called on the next student to read.

HYPOTHESIS (based on the assumption that other ABCs showed a similar pattern): avoidance of reading aloud

PLAN: Ease task difficulty by having peer pairs simultaneously read aloud assigned paragraphs from the intended story before the lesson. Then, during the reading lesson, call on Ryan to read one of the paragraphs he and his partner had rehearsed. If the data show a decrease in the inappropriate behavior, gradually increase the number of assigned paragraphs. Eventually have Ryan read unassigned sentences and then unassigned paragraphs.

**Example 2**

Date: October 3, 1999 Observer: Ms. Norman
Student: Alf who: resource teacher (RT), peers in resource room
what: transition from resource room to physical education class where: resource room
when: 10:15 at end of ELA period  
Antecedents
Behavior
Consequences
1. RT announced it was time to go to gym. 2. Alf continued to leaf through a book. He glanced at peers who had moved to the doorway. 3. RT talked with peers for about 30 seconds. She looked at Alf and told him to put the book away and to get in line.
  4. Alf turned his back to RT and threw the book on the floor. 5. RT approached Alf and told him to pick up the book.
  6. Alf got up and picked up the book and took it to the bookcase. He ran to the corner and climbed under the table. 7. RT bent down to be at eye level with Alf under the table. She told him he was wasting gym time and that he needed to hurry up and get in line.
  8. Alf reached out his hand. 9. RT took Alf's hand and led him from under the table.
  10. Alf walked to the gym and waved goodbye to RT. 11. RT laughed, said, "I'll see you tomorrow," and waved back.

HYPOTHESIS (based on the assumption that other ABCs showed a similar pattern): attention from the teacher

PLAN: Teach Alf a way to gain attention by

a) allowing him to be the "timer" who pushes the two-minute warning buzzer,

b) praising him for a specific work behavior or academic response just before asking students to line up,

c) posting his name on the "hard workers of the day" bulletin board,

d) allowing him to ask a peer to walk next to him on the way to gym, and/or

e) allowing him to be line leader.

**About the Author**

Joan M. Miller, Ph.D., Professor of Education, Mount Saint Mary College, Newburgh, New York

*teaches courses in special education, behavior management, literacy for pupils with disabilities, and using technology with pupils with disabilities.

*interests include teacher education, effective teaching research in special education, and educational technology.

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